By 2027 gas boilers will be outlawed on new build homes, under plans set to be announced by the Labour government, according to a report by The Financial Times.

It’s predicted that the gas boiler ban will be unveiled in May, with legislation taking effect in 2026. After that it’s expected there will be 12-month transition period for housebuilders. There will be exemptions to the ban.

The plan follows a consultation on the Future Homes Standard by the previous Conservative government, while it aims to slash emissions by 80%. The legislation is likely to accelerate the adoption of ground and air source heat pumps, which run on electricity and are the most common alternative to gas boilers.

Steve Turner, executive director of the Home Builders Federation lobby group, said: “We need to make sure the heat pump supply chain will be in place. At the minute, we’re only installing about 35,000 a year – to go from there to up to 300,000 a year, plus additional ones fitted to existing homes, the supply chain will need a significant scale-up.”